I use my Boss TU-2 as well (also as a power supply), but I find the B3's tuner to be perfectly accessible. I only wish it went straight to mute instead of bypass, but that's just my personal preference.
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Zoom B3 As Preamp
- Thread starter CharlieC
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I use my Boss TU-2 as well (also as a power supply), but I find the B3's tuner to be perfectly accessible. I only wish it went straight to mute instead of bypass, but that's just my personal preference.
Firstly I would like to thank CharlieC for his wise words in this (and other) threads, and his efforts in bringing various vital information about these signal-processing effects to light.
You are truly a Prometheus, enlightening our darkness from the shadow of poor "official" documentation.
I own both a V-Amp Pro and a Zoom B3: you have genuinely revealed hidden vistas in both theory and practice for the use of these devices.
I have a question about the "Mix" setting on the Zoom amp-modelling patches:-
I am right to interpret the mix as a wet and dry for the cabinet simulation? That is to say, the signal is always 100% pre-amped, but the mix setting allows you to add the cab simulation on top of the pre-amp, (or optionally, completely remove it, at a setting of 0)?
You are truly a Prometheus, enlightening our darkness from the shadow of poor "official" documentation.
I own both a V-Amp Pro and a Zoom B3: you have genuinely revealed hidden vistas in both theory and practice for the use of these devices.
I have a question about the "Mix" setting on the Zoom amp-modelling patches:-
I am right to interpret the mix as a wet and dry for the cabinet simulation? That is to say, the signal is always 100% pre-amped, but the mix setting allows you to add the cab simulation on top of the pre-amp, (or optionally, completely remove it, at a setting of 0)?
Yes, 0% means no cabinet simulation. 100% means 100% cabinet simulation. The amp model is on/off via the foot switch. I keep the cabinet simulation off pretty much all the time, even through headphones.
Firstly I would like to thank CharlieC for his wise words in this (and other) threads, and his efforts in bringing various vital information about these signal-processing effects to light.
You are truly a Prometheus, enlightening our darkness from the shadow of poor "official" documentation.
Thank you, sir!
and I believe Swift713 has kindly answered your other questions
Cheers!
Ok, so it sounds to me as though the cabinet simulation, is of very limited use. So ... under what conditions would one engage it? e.g. recording directly into a computer etc?
Certainly any cab sim would appear to be ill advised in any live amp feed from the B3. Am I right?
I think the eternal temptation with these modelling features is to think - "Goddammit I paid for a device that has the ability to simulate a cabinet, so I bloody well intend to use it!"
Certainly any cab sim would appear to be ill advised in any live amp feed from the B3. Am I right?
I think the eternal temptation with these modelling features is to think - "Goddammit I paid for a device that has the ability to simulate a cabinet, so I bloody well intend to use it!"
As I understand it, cabinet simulation is used 1) when recording, i.e. when no actual cab is used, or 2) when DI'd into a PA to simulate a cab that has a mic in front of it... I have cab mix set at 0-10 when playing through a real cab otherwise the sound tends to be a little 'muddy'... though just a little of it can be useful tonally.
The cab sim is useful any time you like the way it sounds. I would imagine some folks would like it when playing through headphones, recording direct, or through hi-fi monitors or PA. I find , to my ear, many of the cab sims muddy or confuse my tone and Im happy with the Fliptop model, for instance, with no cab sim. But I'm a weirdo, trust your own ears to decide what you like.
Of course - the ear should be used to make the final judgement.
I think due to the combination of:
1) inadequate documentation,
2) vast array of tweak-able parameters
3) easily select-able built-in presets,
the tendency is to never fully understand the technology you have in front of you!
I think this is true of many DSP type devices.
The insight CharlieC et al have had, is to have the patience to strip all settings away to bare minimum, and gradually add them in a methodical way, in order to understand the full implications of their use.
Applause for that!
I think due to the combination of:
1) inadequate documentation,
2) vast array of tweak-able parameters
3) easily select-able built-in presets,
the tendency is to never fully understand the technology you have in front of you!
I think this is true of many DSP type devices.
The insight CharlieC et al have had, is to have the patience to strip all settings away to bare minimum, and gradually add them in a methodical way, in order to understand the full implications of their use.
Applause for that!
+1
Thanks and let me add that it is equally important that any knowledge one gains should in-turn be shared again with others
Cheers!
Quite right.
I'm a big fan of all things GNU/Linux, so contributing improvements back to the community is meat and drink to me.
The software that is provided with devices like the B3 is generally utterly useless to me, due to my choice of operating system. I would love to see free software projects to produce Linux kernel USB modules (drivers, in Windows land) for the programmable devices I own.
Sadly, most manufacturers do not seem overly keen to participate in such projects, although to me, it would simply mean that more people would use their products.
I found the B3 manual to be quite good. Sure, it doesn't explain practical scenarios in detail, but all the features are documented very well. I've read a lot worse.
When I accuse the manual of being inadequate I probably mean incomplete i.e. I imagine the very reason CharlieC started this thread was due to lack of thorough documentation.
Accepted the Zoom manual is not the worst. I think the user interface is quite intuitive and the manual really just guides you through its features.
I also own a Behringer V-Amp Pro - another amp/cab modelling device. I notice CharlieC has done a similar analysis on how to get the best out of it.
This device is probably more what I was thinking of in terms of the documentation deficiencies. The user interface is quite primitive (compared to the B3) and the documentation in interminable! But still it seems there are good sounds to be had if you seek them out and learn you way around the guts of the machine.
Accepted the Zoom manual is not the worst. I think the user interface is quite intuitive and the manual really just guides you through its features.
I also own a Behringer V-Amp Pro - another amp/cab modelling device. I notice CharlieC has done a similar analysis on how to get the best out of it.
This device is probably more what I was thinking of in terms of the documentation deficiencies. The user interface is quite primitive (compared to the B3) and the documentation in interminable! But still it seems there are good sounds to be had if you seek them out and learn you way around the guts of the machine.
I'm on Ubuntu 12.04 and using the supplied editor/librarian through wine. Seems to work. Drag and drop does not work with the native filemanager but with wine's explorer.
Quite right.
I'm a big fan of all things GNU/Linux, so contributing improvements back to the community is meat and drink to me.
The software that is provided with devices like the B3 is generally utterly useless to me, due to my choice of operating system. I would love to see free software projects to produce Linux kernel USB modules (drivers, in Windows land) for the programmable devices I own.
Sadly, most manufacturers do not seem overly keen to participate in such projects, although to me, it would simply mean that more people would use their products.
Hi.. Very new to all this and reading my eyes out to learn as much as I can.. Excited about trying out your settings…. Thank you for this Thread....
I have(Getting it today) a TC Electeric BG250 Amp. And I have a B3.
Because the BG250 has TonePrint, I would like to be able to sometimes use just the BG250 Amp and then sometimes turn on and use the B3.
Currently I have 2 monster bass cables one of which goes from the Bass to the Input of the B3 and the other cable that goes from the Output(HeadPhone Jack) of the B3 to the Input of the Amp. (Per the B3 User manual)
Right now when I don’t want to use the B3, I turn off the B3 and unhook from the B3 and then re-hook to my Fender rumble Amp(Just using one cable, bass Straight to Amp) But it’s a pain to do this..
Is there a way to do what I want to do(Leave it all hooked up but be able to not use the B3 sometimes?)
Sorry if my question seems so simple but I am a beginner and not very familiar with hooking up Music and audio equipment..
I have(Getting it today) a TC Electeric BG250 Amp. And I have a B3.
Because the BG250 has TonePrint, I would like to be able to sometimes use just the BG250 Amp and then sometimes turn on and use the B3.
Currently I have 2 monster bass cables one of which goes from the Bass to the Input of the B3 and the other cable that goes from the Output(HeadPhone Jack) of the B3 to the Input of the Amp. (Per the B3 User manual)
Right now when I don’t want to use the B3, I turn off the B3 and unhook from the B3 and then re-hook to my Fender rumble Amp(Just using one cable, bass Straight to Amp) But it’s a pain to do this..
Is there a way to do what I want to do(Leave it all hooked up but be able to not use the B3 sometimes?)
Sorry if my question seems so simple but I am a beginner and not very familiar with hooking up Music and audio equipment..
If you don't have any of the effects engaged, the B3 will just route your signal straight to the amp.
Imagine if, instead of the B3, you had 3 stompboxes in front of your amp. They generally don't do anything to your signal unless you engage them with the foot switch. Same story with the B3- if all the effects in your active patch are turned off, it's like you're plugged straight into your amp.
Imagine if, instead of the B3, you had 3 stompboxes in front of your amp. They generally don't do anything to your signal unless you engage them with the foot switch. Same story with the B3- if all the effects in your active patch are turned off, it's like you're plugged straight into your amp.
Thank you.. That is what I was thinking but was not sure..
So just leave the B3 on, but have no effects enabled..
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